The free agent OT market remains largely untouched as the New York Jets continue searching for a solution
It’s been two days since the unofficial start of free agency and the frenzy is well underway. Guards and wide receivers have flown off the board on high-paying contracts. The New York Jets dipped their toes in, signing guard John Simpson to a reasonable two-year deal worth up to $18 million.
After adding Simpson, the Jets still need to add two offensive linemen to fill out their starting lineup. At least one needs to be a tackle – two if the Jets want to keep Alijah Vera-Tucker at guard.
Currently, the only tackles on the Jets’ roster are 2022 fourth-round pick Max Mitchell and 2023 fifth-round pick Carter Warren. Neither Mitchell nor Warren have shown enough to be considered starters or even quality backups.
While guards have flown off the board, the free-agent tackle class has barely been touched. The only three signings have been Mike Onwenu, Jermaine Eluemunor, and Chukwuma Okorafor. Onwenu got a sizable contract to stay home and wasn’t an ideal scheme fit for the Jets anyway. Eluemunor was a serviceable starter and received a fair contract but isn’t a major loss. Okorafor signed as a backup in New England. Aside from those three, every other option is still available.
So who can the Jets pivot to? In no particular order, here are some of the most recognizable options available:
- Tyron Smith
- David Bakhtiari
- Trenton Brown
- Andrus Peat
- Jonah Williams
- George Fant
- Mekhi Becton
A few of the top names are still available. Before free agency began, Michael Nania ranked every free agent offensive lineman here; Tyron Smith and Trenton Brown were the two highest-ranked tackles (although Brown probably is not an ideal scheme fit for the Jets). A reunion with George Fant is appealing, as Fant bounced back in 2023 with a good season as a pass blocker for the Texans.
Douglas also has a soft spot for former first-round picks like Jonah Williams and Andrus Peat. It’s easy to connect the dots to David Bakhtiari, who is a close friend of Aaron Rodgers.
With wide receivers flying off the board, the Jets need to focus on building a wall in front of Rodgers. Their best option might be to move Alijah Vera-Tucker to tackle and sign a top free agent, which would give the Jets flexibility with the 10th overall pick.
